Circuit-controlling mechanism.



I. BECHOIF.l omoul'r ooN'rnoLLINe Meenemen. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.24, 1910.

1,037,580. Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Witnesses Inventor t 'Fd' d hff,

'entrain sfrnrns PATENT cerros.

" rnnnrnsnn BECHOFE-F SCHENECTDY, NEW YORK, SSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC CQMPA'Y, il. QRPORATON OF NEW YORK.

, CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

incasso.

l Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented sept. s, 1912.

Original application le. December 16, 1908, Serial No. 467,881. Divided and this application led January 24, iena.

To. all whom may concern:

y' Beitr known that l, Fnnnritann Bnonorr,

a subject ci the Emperor of Germany, resid ing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady,

State ollew Yorln'have invented certain as voil switches, must bevinstalled in incon- `venient and inaccessible locations and are usually operated by a remote control system in which a motor for operating the switch `is controlled by means of control circuits vleeuiing Jfrom the motor to a conveniently loand closing the cated switch board.

Since the motor operated device is usually 'invisible from the switch board, the mecha* nism on the switch board 'for opening 'and closin the control circuits should not only loe reliable, but should show the position of the. motor actuated device, and the object of ni invention is to provide a reliable and ellicent controlling mechanism for opening control circuits in a reliable manner, tor preventing the simultaneous closing ofi two or more control circuits and forA .indicating the position ot tne motor actuated device by showing which control circuit was last closed.

In carrying out my invention, a conveniently located switch board is provided with a switch for each control circuit and each switch has an indicator moved by it, the indicators of the switches beine* so related to each other that they interlock and thereby interlock the switches. ln the preferred form, the switch remains closed only'while held by the operator and is returned to the open position by a spring, a suitable connection-between the indicator and switch permitting the indicator to remain in the posi- .tion to which it was moved as the switch was closed, and therebyto show which switch was last closed. The positive and reliable closing of the control circuit is secured by mounting the coperating contacts t0 malte.

Serial No. 539,649.

sliding engagement with each other and at the same time to be forced into contact with eachother by a yielding pressure' which increases as the contacts move over each other. My invention will best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is an illustration of one of the various forms in which the invention may be ombodied, and in which" Figure l is a plan View of the controlling mechanism mounted on the switchboard; Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. l, with part of the switchboard and of the struction; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism with the handles and upper plate removed to show the interlocking indicators; Fig. fl is a plan View of the back of the switchboard with a portion of the mechanism broken away; Fig. 5 is an end View partly in sectionshowing the coperating contacts in the position to close the control circuit, and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, with the contacts in the position to open the circuit.

` The orm of controlling mechanism shown in the drawings is mounted on the switchn board or panel 1, to the rear of which is secured the back plate 2 and to the front of plates being lirmly held in position on the switch board by means of binding screws 4, which pass through the switch board and connect the two plates. Operating handles 5 and t3a are mounted on the front ot the switch board on the front ends' of rods or switch actuators 6 and 6a, which extend through both the front and back plates and through the switch board, as shown in Fig. 2. Each rod or switch actuator is loosely journaled in the front and back plates to rotate and also to move longitudinally, so that each actuator is capable both of angular movement about its axis and of axial movement along its axis. The coperating cone tacts for opening and closing the control circuits are mounted behind the switchboard l and in the specific form of device shown in the drawings comprise movable contacts 7 and 7a made in the form of bridging contacts mounted on and insulated from the rods or switch actuators 6 and 6et and cop- -erating with fixed contacts 8 and 8a mounted ,on and insulated from the contact plate 2, as

mechanism broken away to show the con-l which is secured the front plate 3, the two in position to open the circuit by means ot" springs 9, 9a connected at one end to the front plate 3 and at the other end to thebosses 10, 10a, mounted on the switch actuators be* tween the front plate 3 and the switchboard.v

The springs are put under strain by the rotation ot the switch actuators to close the switches and as soon as the switch actuators are released by the operator, the springs draw the bosses bach into engagement with the stops 11, 11, lthereby opening the switches. The -stops also prevent the rotation of the switch actuators in the wrong direction. The two rods or switch actuators are interlocked and are prevented from simultaneously closing the switches by means of arms 12, 12 on the bosses, which coperate with arms 13, 13a of movable indicau tors ivoted to the front plate 3 and provide with targets 14 and 14*1 which register with an opening 15 in the front plate 3 when the switch connected to the indicator is closed. Each indicator is actuated by the switch actuator to which it is connected and the indicators are interlocked with each other in any suitable way, preferably by b eing mounted to move in the same plane, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and to overlap in said plane so that the indicators lie side by side and cannot be moved past each other. Each indicator is brought into registry with the opening 15 when its switch is closed, but since the indicators overlap in the same plane, only one indicator canbe in registry with the opening 15 at onetime, and as long as it is in registry with the opening it blocks the movement of the-other indicator and thereby prevents the closing Aof the other switch. As shown in Fig. 3, the connections between the arms 12, 12a on the bcsses'j'lO, y

10a and the arms 13, 13a on the indicators are such that the switch actuator can be turned back to switch opening position with.- out drawing the indicator back with it, and

thereby moving the indicator out ot registry with the opening 15. The indicators move with enough friction to prevent displacement, and when eithervindicator has been brought into registry with the opening 15, it remains in registry with the opening until displaced'by the other indicator when the other switch is closed. It is impossible to bring both switches into the switch closing acarreo for closing the circuits are brought into firm' and reliable engagement with each other by sliding over each other as the switch 1s closed and also by being forced into yielding en' gagement with each other with 'a ressure which increases as the contacts slide over, each other. The preferred construction for securing this result is shown in the drawi in which angular movement o the switi actuator about its axis causes its axial movement in a direction to force the movable contact into firm engagement with the xed contacts. The preferred constructionfor'se# curing this movement of the switches comprises resilient helical abutments, preferably in the form of helical springs 16, 16, sur

rounding the switch actuators 6, 6 and eachv having one end secured to the back plate 2. The movable contacts 7, 'are operatively connected to the resilient supports or abutments 16, 161 by means et lugs or pins .17 17 mounted on the switch actuators and engaging the helical springs between the ends. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the helical spring iorms a yielding screw thread which coper- .ates with the pm 17, 17H to move the switch actuators longitudinally, thereby forcing the movable contact-s into yielding engagement with the fixed contacts. As the movable contact is rotated while in engagement with the fixed contacts, the helical spring is compressed more and more and the pressure ers'.-y

erted between the contacts increases as the contacts slide over each other, thereby insuring a positive and reliable closing in the control circuit. l

My invention may be embodied in many other forms from that shown and described and ll therefore do not wish to be restricted to the precise arrangement disclosed, since various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of,

my invention.

' What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. rlhe combination with cooperating contacts mounted to rotate in sliding engagenient and to move one toward the other, of means whereby one of said contacts is yieldingly pressed upon the other with a pressure dependent upon the extent of their relative rotation when in engagement.

2. The combination with coperating contacts mounted to rotate in engagement and to move one toward the other, of a resilient member arranged to force one of said con'- tacts toward the other when strained, and means whereby rotation ot one of said contactsN strains said resilient member to an extent dependent upon the extent of moviement of one of said contacts over the other.

3. The combination with a ixed Contact and a coperating movable contact mounted to rotate in sliding engagement with and to move toward said xed contact, of a resilient helical member mounted with one end in fixed relation to said fixed contact and ar ranged to coperate with said movable contact to cause said movable contact to move in a spiral path toward the fixed contact as said movable contact is rotated.

4. The combination with a` ixed contact and a coperating movable contact mounted to rotate 1n sliding engagement with and to move toward said fixed contact, of a helical spring ixed at one end relatively to said xed contact and concentric with the axis of rotation of said movable contact, and connections between said movable contact and said spring whereby the rotation o said movable contact causes said contact to be moved by said spring toward said lixed contact. Y

5. The combination with relatively movable coperating contacts, or" a rotatable actuator mounted to move axially and thereby bring said contacts into engagement, and a resilient member having an inclined surface engaged by said actuator to move said actuator axially and therebybring said contacts into yielding engagement when said actuator is rotated.

6. In a switch, the combination with relatively movable coperating contacts, of an actuator mounted for angular and longitudinal movement and arranged to bring said contacts into engagement when moved longitudinally, a helical spring surrounding said actuator and having one end fixed with relation to one of said contacts, and a projection on said actuator in engagement with said spring between its ends, whereby rotation of said actuator brings said contacts into yielding' engagement.

7. lIn a switch, the combination with relatively movable coperating contacts, of an actuator mounted for angular and longitu- Copies of this patent may be obtained for being mounted for both angular and longitudinal movement relatively7 t0 each other and arranged to bring said contacts into engagement by relative longitudinal movement, and a projection on said actuator in engagement with said spring between its ends, whereby relative angular movement of said spring and actuator produces relative longitudinal movement thereof.

9. In a switch, the combination with a xed contact and a coperating movable cont-act mounted for angular and axial movement relative to said fixed contact, of a stationary helical resilient abutment for said movable contact, and connections between said abutment and said movable contact whereby angular movement of said movable contact relatively to said abutment causes said contact to move axially into yielding engagement with said iixed contact.

l0. In a switch, the combination with a fixed contact and a cooperating movable contact mounted for angular and longitudinal movement relative to said fixed contact, of a stationaryT helical spring surrounding the axis of rotation of said contact, and a pin on said contact in engagement with said spring between its ends, whereby rotation of said movable contact brings it into yielding engagement with said fixed contact.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of January, 1910.

FERDINAND BECHOFF.

Witnesses:

HELEN Genom), BENJAMIN B. HULL.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents, Washington, D. C. 

